Ford and Volvo’s green scheme

Ford and Volvo have announced that they are collaborating on a centre to develop hybrid fuel systems and investing £740 million in environmental research and design.

Led by Volvo, Ford will establish a hybrid development centre in Gothenburg, Sweden. The centre will have overall responsibility for the application of hybrid systems into Volvo vehicles globally. It will also ensure Ford Europe and brands from Ford's Premier Automotive Group are able to apply core hybrid systems into their own product plans.

Part of a global initiative by Ford to speed the introduction of more fuel-efficient vehicles, the new hybrid development centre will build on Volvo’s existing hybrid experience. Their early hybrid systems eventually made their way into the first hybrid SUV, the Ford Escape.

In a linked announcement, the car giants are investing £740 million in environmental research and design to reduce the total fuel economy and exhaust emissions of the global Volvo fleet.